Why People Are Still Leaving Their Jobs
A lot of people really liked working from home during Covid—working in your pajamas can do that—and if they started to feel comfortable, it makes sense that they would not want to return to the office.
And it makes sense that if their office then required them to come back, they would be inclined to choose something else. But this doesn’t explain why so many people have been leaving or changing their jobs lately.
In fact, nearly half of U.S. workers—46%—plan to look for a new job in the next six months, citing low pay as their No. 1 reason for eyeing greener pastures, according to a new report from human resource consulting firm Robert Half, which surveyed 2,500 professionals between October and November 2022. Gen Zers, working parents and employees who have been with their company for less than five years are the most likely to switch jobs in early 2023, the report found.
Let’s remember that no one, no matter what they are paying you, gets to treat you badly. But it helps to look a little deeper at another factor in job satisfaction: not getting along with the higher-ups.
On the one hand, most of us don’t like being told what to do or being corrected, but being told what to do (or not do) on the job is a necessary evil, right? Someone has to train you and point out your mistakes before you make a big one, and that can be a pleasant enough process if handled well.
On the other hand, if you are put down or belittled by a manager or boss, that isn’t okay on any level and you should report it to human resources—if your company is big enough to have HR.
Unfortunately, many people fear they will lose their jobs if they speak up when they are being mistreated, and we need to empower them to do just that: Speak up. If you see something, or you are the victim of someone else’s ire, walk away and tell a friend or another manager immediately.
The last thing anyone needs is a boss who thinks that being a schoolyard bully is the way to manage employees. I assure you it is not. And yet, workplace bullying is on the rise, with young professionals feeling the brunt of it.
That’s one takeaway from Ethisphere’s 2023 Ethical Culture and Compliance Perceptions Assessment, which found a 13% increase in bullying since the start of the pandemic, even as most other forms of workplace misconduct declined.
Business leaders need to better understand the importance of mental health in the workplace and how to insure their team members’ emotional well-being. It’s good for the bottom line because money is only one of the many reasons people go to work. Many also do it for camaraderie; their “work family” is a big part of their social life.
There is still a worker shortage, and the government is no longer handing out money. In fact, life has never been more expensive, and yet more people are opting out of the 9-to-5 workday and becoming digital creators or side-hustlers (or hustlers of side-hustles), and building their own businesses, because it is more emotionally satisfying and fun than their old job.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs teaches us that after food, water, and shelter, our next need is a sense of belonging, and working with others gives that to many people. Walking away is no small decision.
We have to make emotional well-being a greater priority in the workplace, and managers need to focus more on quality-of-life issues. If we can experience happiness and balance in our chosen field, we will excel rather than quit.